"Gaza is all about urban warfare. I suspect they will have some difficulty."
In principle, the IDF trains for urban warfare. It is their most likely scenario. Just look at the design of the Merkava tank. It is an excellent design for that kind of warfare. However, as was proved in Lebanon, it is vulnerable to several weapon systems, including IEDs. I doubt if this has escaped the notice of Hamas.
Now, apparently, the IDF has managed to convince themselves that the failures in Lebanon was due to insufficiently training and tactical mistakes made by tank crews. And, maybe they are right. But, if Hamas has some of the weapon systems fielded in Lebanon, plus the likelihood there are IEDs in all of the roadways, training may not be enough. One of the two Merkava Mk 4 tanks totally destroyed in Lebanon was due to a large IED. Now, I don't know if that tank had the V-shaped belly armor or not, but there was one Merkava so equipped that resulted in a crew member dying. Personally, I would expect Hamas to field a lot of IEDs as a result.
But, who knows? Maybe Hamas is full of certified morons who are incapable of learning. Certainly there are those who take that stance. In which case it could be a cakewalk. |
